THOUSANDS of pounds worth of damage has been caused to a controversial public art installation.

The Blue Carpet artwork outside the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle is the latest target in a string of metal thefts that have plagued the region for months.

The £1.6m concrete square design, which consists of 22,500 blue paving slabs, was defaced by thieves in a late-night operation to steal the bronze border plates that surround the art.

Officers say the offenders struck shortly after 11pm on Wednesday, October 5, before making off with what police would only confirm to be “thousands of pounds worth of bronze”.

This is the second time the artwork, which was installed in 2001, has been targeted for its metal in just two weeks. On Sunday, September 25, between 10pm and 10.30pm thieves stole a much smaller amount of the bronze plating.

Bosses at Newcastle City Council, who maintain the artwork, have said they will be working with police in coming days to review CCTV footage from a selection of cameras in the area in a bid to identify the culprits.

Michael Murphy, the council’s director of technical services, said: “We are disappointed that people have damaged such an important piece of public art and we would urge anyone with information about this theft to come forward and contact the police. The Blue Carpet is enjoyed by visitors to the city centre and it is a shame that some people have such little respect for our community.

“There was an isolated act of arson on the site when the Blue Carpet was being constructed but this is the first time we’ve seen metal thefts at this location.”

The Blue Carpet, was designed by artist Thomas Heatherwick, who won a competition to create a public square outside the Laing Art Gallery.

The nationally renowned artist today told the Chronicle of his disappointment at the theft. He said: “I’m sad to hear that the Blue Carpet has been damaged. I hope the council will work with us to fix this as soon as possible.”

Police are appealing for any witnesses who saw the theft take place or who has information about the whereabouts of the bronze plating to get in touch.